US FBI buys location data to track Americans
Change
US Federal Bureau of Investigation resumed purchasing commercially available location histories from data brokers to support federal investigations, the agency director said in congressional testimony.
Why it matters
The purchases allow federal investigators to obtain precise location information without seeking court-authorized warrants, reducing judicial oversight of searches. The FBI’s legal theory that warrants are not required for commercially acquired location data remains untested in court, creating legal uncertainty for Fourth Amendment protections.
Implications
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